Bena Gene Secures RMB 25 Million in Pre-A Strategic Financing to Advance Nanopore Sequencing in Clinical and Research Applications

VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) has learned that Bena Gene, one of the leading domestic providers of fourth-generation nanopore sequencing services, has completed a RMB 25 million Pre-A series strategic financing round. This round was solely invested by the Ruijiang Kangsheng Fund. It is reported that the funds will be primarily used for the development and promotion of nanopore sequencing technology products in the fields of clinical pathogenic microbiology and scientific research, as well as for talent acquisition.

Bena Gene, established in 2012 and headquartered in Wuhan, specializes in services and applications of fourth-generation nanopore sequencing technology. As one of the first companies in China to introduce the Oxford Nanopore sequencing platform, Bena Gene currently boasts the largest sequencing throughput and highest average daily data output in the country, with a single run on its large-scale sequencers generating up to 7.2 TB of data.

Bena Gene has currently served over 1,000 research users and more than 80 gene sequencing companies both domestically and internationally. Its product portfolio covers animal and plant genomics, microbial metagenomics, and direct RNA sequencing. Notably, its direct RNA sequencing product set a world record for data output per chip at 18.36 Gb.

Next, Bena Genomics plans to apply nanopore sequencing technology to the field of clinical medical testing. The company has established a microbial detection system based on the nanopore sequencing platform, with its independently developed database now covering all formally published microbial genomes. The single-test turnaround time has been reduced to half a day, greatly meeting the clinical need for rapid detection of pathogenic microorganisms. Meanwhile, the compact, portable sequencing system can be used for both clinical testing and field operations, significantly enriching the diversity of sequencing application scenarios.

Dr. Song Chi, founder of BenaGene, stated:“We sincerely appreciate Ruijiang Kangsheng Fund’s recognition of Bena Gene’s innovation capabilities and business philosophy. Bena Gene has taken a leading position in China’s nanopore sequencing research services industry, serving over 1,000 end-user researchers and 80 gene sequencing companies. With the introduction of Ruijiang Kangsheng Fund, leveraging its strong financial support, professional operational management expertise, and KingMed Diagnostics’ advantages in the field of specialized medical testing, the company will accelerate the development of products for clinical medical diagnostics. We believe that this partnership with Ruijiang Kangsheng Fund will propel the company to new heights.”

Mr. Zhao Jinqiang, Chairman of Ruijiang Investment, stated:“Ruijiang Investment’s fund invested in Bena Gene based on its trust in Bena Gene’s outstanding team and its recognition of the company’s future development potential within the industry. We also extend our sincere gratitude to Kindstar Global, a leading enterprise in China’s clinical testing sector, for its strong support of the Ruijiang-Kindstar Fund. We believe that through collaborative efforts among all parties, Bena Gene will certainly create an even brighter future. Discovering value, creating value, and partnering with exceptional entrepreneurs to unlock infinite possibilities have always been the core mission of Ruijiang Investment.”

Professor Huang Shiang, CEO of KingMed Diagnostics, stated:“In the rapidly growing blue-ocean market for specialized diagnostics, Kindstar Global has been committed to developing and introducing advanced technologies to address the substantial unmet medical needs in China. Benagen focuses on nanopore sequencing services and has already demonstrated its unique advantages in the scientific research sector. We believe that through the strategic partnership between Kindstar Global and Benagen, both parties will fully leverage their respective strengths to promote the broader application of nanopore sequencing technology in clinical diagnosis, thereby better serving physicians and patients.”

Wuhan Bena Technology Service Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Bena Gene") was established in 2012. Headquartered in Wuhan, it is a national high-tech enterprise dedicated to the development and application of nanopore sequencing and bioinformatics analysis technologies. The core team possesses extensive experience in high-throughput sequencing, nanopore sequencing, and bioinformatics analysis, and has published numerous academic papers in Nature and Science journals. Employees with doctoral or master's degrees account for more than 50% of the total workforce. The company operates its own proprietary sequencing platform—it was among the first in China to introduce the Nanopore PromethION platform—and maintains a professional bioinformatics analysis team.

Bena Gene’s mission is “Enhancing customer value through sequencing and computation, decoding genes to serve human health”; its vision is “Leader in multi-scenario sequencing application solutions”; and its core values are “Responsibility, Integrity, Learning, Innovation.”

Ruijiang Investment was established in 2012, with its headquarters in Wuhan and branches and teams in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, and Hong Kong. The company’s vision is to meet people’s needs for a better life through high-quality financial services and products. Its core business covers equity investment funds and industrial investment funds. The company’s founder graduated from the University of Chicago, and its management and investment teams consist of seasoned investment professionals with an international perspective. Its growth-stage equity investment funds focus on the healthcare, hard technology, environmental protection, and education sectors. The company currently manages seven equity investment funds, with past limited partners (LPs) including fund-of-funds and family offices.

KingMed Diagnostics Gene Technology Co., Ltd. was established in 2007 and is China’s first and leading independent provider of specialized clinical testing services. Currently, KingMed has established a dominant position in China’s independent hematology specialized clinical testing industry, offering one of the most comprehensive hematology testing portfolios globally. The company provides extensive testing services to hospitals, contract research organizations, and pharmaceutical companies, delivering a wide range of test items and customized, high-quality specialized tests in a highly cost-effective manner. These services assist physicians in optimizing diagnoses, thereby enabling the selection of personalized treatment plans for patients.